


Allegiances

by YoroiNoKyojin



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Blood and Gore, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:46:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23541802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoroiNoKyojin/pseuds/YoroiNoKyojin
Summary: SEQUEL TO "Alliances." https://archiveofourown.org/works/21685453/chapters/51720076Everything has fallen apart -- and worse, Sakura Haruno has found herself the recipient of more threats. It seems her past isn't through with her yet, and she decides to go on a mission to get rid of the infamous "Keeper" once and for all.
Relationships: Gaara/Tenten (Naruto), Haruno Sakura/Hyuuga Neji, Haruno Sakura/Kankurou, Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Sai/Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	1. Wounds, Old and New

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: WELCOME TO THE SEQUEL! During my quarantine time I'm doing a lot more writing so I'm juggling this story with two others; but I plan on updating consistently! I really hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it. CHEERS!
> 
> ** I apologize in advance for any typos/continuity issues/grammatical errors. I don't have a beta reader and I doubt I catch everything myself. ENJOY!

Sakura Haruno sat on her bedroom floor, wrapped in a fluffy white towel and clutching a worn, crumpled paper. She’d read this particular paper so many times she’d practically memorized it, but still her eyes scanned over the scrawled, slightly messy handwriting religiously.

**_I thought this would be it for me. The love to end all loves. My last thought was that such a simple thing as distance would come between us. But was it really just the distance? Wasn’t it more than that?_ **

**_A lack of communication_ — _that was the real problem, I think. I love you, Sakura. I always will, no matter where we stand._**

**_But this is it._ **

  
  


The pinkette found her eyes blurring with tears and she wiped them away hastily, setting the letter aside and shaking her head.  _ A lack of communication: that was the real problem. _

It hadn’t just been him. It had been her, too. They’d both let this fall apart  — but Sakura could pinpoint the moment it had begun, and she had to accept fault for it. The last time he’d visited her in Konoha, she’d purposely neglected to tell him about the threats she’d received upon coming home about 8 months prior… and someone else had let slip about it. The puppet master had been extremely upset that he’d heard about it through a third party… and she couldn’t blame him. Sakura hadn’t been entirely sure why she hid it from him — but she did know that she didn’t want to burden him with something that had been nothing more than a small scare. Nothing had come of it — she’d tried to assure him of that — but the damage to their relationship had been done. Perhaps it was old wounds that caused the rift to form between them, or maybe it had been new wounds caused by the physical distance. She couldn’t be sure, and either way, it was a moot point now.

It was over,  _ had  _ been for a couple of months.

Of course her friends had comforted her in the beginning, had been there while she cried and wailed and went through her emotions; but while her pain lingered, her friends hadn’t. She couldn’t be angry at them — they had their own lives to live. They were getting married and making new families… while Sakura ate her feelings and shoved the tears back. The one good thing in her life at the moment was her work at the hospital; she’d become the head doctor there and the place was flourishing. Many new ninja took her medical ninjutsu classes and entered the field, and most of those came back to work at the hospital frequently.

Speaking of work… she had to go. Standing up, and safely tucking the crumpled letter away into a drawer, the pinkette got dressed and threw on her white coat, heading out for the day. Arriving at Konoha Infirmary, which had expanded exponentially in the last year, Sakura grabbed a cup of coffee and took a file from the desk in her office; her first patient for the day…

One Neji Hyuga. 

He’d been gravely injured in the Great Shinobi War, and at first Sakura hadn’t thought he would survive… but he was strong and resilient. With many surgeries and healing sessions, he pulled through — but not without complications. The injuries had done irreversible damage to his limbs. Sakura and Tsunade both had studied extensively during these years to try to somehow reverse the damage or open up new nerve pathways to give him back full use of his limbs… but nothing had worked, so far. So currently, while she researched new techniques and interventions, she was in charge of his physical therapy. 

As she approached the doorway to the physical therapy room, the pinkette saw the long-haired Hyuga already there, sitting with his back to the door and his cane propped up beside his chair. Opening the door slowly, she lingered in the doorway, blowing on her coffee as her green eyes rested on him. “You look very contemplative,” she mused.

He didn’t turn to look at her, didn’t even move. “It was so frustrating, at first.” Sakura remained silent, wondering if he’d continue. His voice broke the silence, quiet and filled with thought. “I’d lay awake at night. Every night.  _ Angry. Useless.” _

“You’ve never been useless,” Sakura countered, finally leaning off the doorway and fully entering the room. Dropping the file on a nearby counter, the pinkette took the coffee over to where he was seated and plopped down next to him, sighing. “But I understand how you feel.”

His expression was dark. “You can’t possibly understand.”

“I do.” Her eyes were kind, even if the attitude flared her temper. She’d learned quite well to control it when needed. “I spent years feeling that way. Finally decided I had enough of it, and I grew up.”

“I can’t exactly ‘will’ myself out of these injuries.”

“You’re right. But — I’ve never worked harder to get someone back into tip-top shape. Don’t give up, Neji-san, because  _ I  _ haven’t.” Sakura’s free hand came up to his shoulder, resting on it in reassurance. “We’re close. And we’re making big steps every day. We’ll work through this together, alright?”

Neji pressed his lips into a thin line, before nodding and using his hands on the arms of his chair to push himself to his feet. Grabbing onto his cane for support, he began slowly walking over to the twin balancing poles to practice his steps; Sakura watched after him, sipping on her coffee. 

* * *

“FOREHEEEEAAAAAD! I’m HOOOOOOME!” 

“This is a  _ hospital,  _ you Pig!” Sakura admonished, but there was a wide smile on her lips as she rushed out to the lobby to hug the blonde. Pulling back, she faked an expression of disgust. “Phew! Where the hell did you go? You smell like a sewer.”

“Not any worse than the smell in your whole house,” Ino replied in a sing-song voice, slinging an arm over the pinkette’s shoulders. “Come on. Come have dinner with me. Sai still hasn’t gotten back from his own mission yet and I’m lonely.”

“Ino, I… I don’t know. I haven’t been out in a while.”

“Which is  _ exactly  _ why you should come with me.” Ino suddenly fell silent, blue eyes focusing on something behind Sakura. A smirk curled the blonde’s lips and she nodded in the direction she was looking. “Hotness alert.”

Sakura glanced back to see Neji emerging from a hallway into the lobby; he was clearly leaning on his cane for support, but he walked with such a dignity and grace that she almost didn’t notice, despite having been his doctor for about a year now. Her brows furrowed. “N-Neji-san?”

“You’ve been doctoring him for a year now, Forehead — a whole year and you still haven’t made a move?! What is wrong with you??”

Sakura shushed the blonde, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. “I was in a relationship until recently, you idiot,” she mumbled, casting another glance back at the Hyuga. “Besides…  _ Neji?” _

“Who cares about that, he’s hot!” Ino chided, turning her head to follow Neji with her eyes as he passed by them. “Oi! Neji-san!” she called before Sakura could stop her, earning a slap on the arm from the pinkette. “Forehead and I are about to have dinner! Want to join us? My treat!”

The Hyuga stopped mid-step and slowly glanced back at them. His eyes were hard and a frown curled his lips; but his voice was soft. “I appreciate the offer… but no, thank you.” And he turned and left.

Sakura released a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding and slapped Ino on the arm again, earning a mischievous laugh from the blonde. After Sakura went to quickly clock out, she hung up her coat and returned to Ino. Arm in arm, the two went to dinner at the dango shop down the street.

* * *

As they waited for their food, Sakura stared at her steaming cup of green tea, deep in thought. About working with Neji, about her nonexistent love life, about the past, about everything. Ino was chatting about the mission she’d gone on and Sakura was only half-listening; wondering why on earth she was suddenly thinking about these things  _ now  _ when up until this point she’d been shoving it all down and focusing on her work. 

Perhaps it was Ino’s presence again after being gone on a month-long mission. While she loved Ino, and had convinced herself that all was forgiven when it came to the obnoxious blonde, Sakura was beginning to wonder if there was still some unresolved tension there. Ino was not particularly well-known for keeping secrets — still, the last thing she’d expected was for the kunoichi to go blabbing to Kankuro about the threats Sakura had received. 

Ino was the one who’d told Kankuro. And while Sakura logically knew it was her own fault for not telling the brunette herself, she wondered if a part of her resented Ino for being the catalyst of their failed relationship. 

Ino had apologized profusely — but the damage had been done, hadn’t it? No number of “I’m sorry” would bring Kankuro back to her. 

A certain name brought the pinkette out of her thoughts. “So what about Neji??” Ino asked.

Sakura groaned. “Not this again!”

_ “Yes, again!  _ Sakura’s it’s been a few months now — it’s okay to move on. Get yourself some of that Hyuga booty!”

The pinkette felt her temples throbbing with irritation. “What the hell makes you think I’m interested, Pig?! Besides, even if I was, have you  _ seen him?  _ He’s more closed off and antisocial than —”

“— than your vagina?” Ino finished with a quirked brow.

“PIG!!” 

“Listen, Forehead — all I’m saying is… since you’ve got access to Neji Hyuga like no one else does, why not  _ get to know him?” _

Sakura growled in frustration, but relented. “I don’t know, Ino. I guess getting to know him couldn’t be so bad. But lay off, would you??”

“Fine! Fine! OH — did you get that letter from Setsuko?!” Ino exclaimed, hands slamming on the table excitedly. 

Sakura’s eyes lit up. “I did,” she confirmed. “I can’t believe her anniversary to Makoto is in a couple of weeks!”

_ “I  _ can’t believe she invited us to a big party in Suna!” Ino replied chipperly. “It’s going to be so  _ fabulous,  _ knowing her and her sense of style —” She paused, and her expression sobered when she met Sakura’s eyes. “Are you… are you going to go?”

Sakura frowned, feeling a lump form in the back of her throat. “I — I don’t know. The letter said everyone could bring a plus one… I feel like — maybe I could attend, if I didn’t go alone… but I wouldn’t even know who to bring.”

_ “I  _ have an idea,” Ino replied devilishly. 

“If you say Neji, I swear…”

“HOT HYUGA ASS!” 

“PIG!”

Ino began cackling. “Seriously! Think about it! That poor lump needs to get out of the house, and  _ you  _ need a date! Just give it a thought.”

Sakura’s expression turned pensive. As she toyed with her food, she began considering,  _ really  _ considering Ino’s suggestion. 

* * *

“He’s losing blood — suction. SUCTION!”

This was a routine surgery, perfect for students to learn something; what Sakura hadn’t expected was for the patient’s carotid to be nicked... and now this man was bleeding out before she could repair it. “I’m losing field of vision — someone get in there and SUCTION! And get three bags of O-negative, NOW!”

“Sats are dropping,” another surgeon said urgently. “Flatline! We’re losing him!”

“Damn it, WHERE IS THAT O-NEG?”

* * *

When Sakura walked into examination room #8, she’d adjusted her fresh lab coat and put on a brave face. Neji Hyuga glanced over at her, eyes hardening when he laid eyes on her. “You look terrible,” he commented.

“Thanks,” the pinkette replied sourly, before forcing a smile. “It’s been a great day. How are you feeling?”

“You have blood in your hair.”

Sakura had laid his file down on the counter and turned toward him, preparing to snap some gloves on — when she paused, that carefully practiced smile cracking. “I — w-what?”

“You have blood in your hair,” Neji repeated seriously. “I’m assuming a surgery… did not go well.”

Sakura bit her trembling lip; she wasn’t sure if it was the weight of her broken heart or the anxiety of possibly going back to Suna, but it was suddenly terribly hard not to cry. She forced back the lump in her throat and blinked several times to avoid tears. “We… ah… we lost him,” she murmured in a quivering voice. “It’s… it’s been a long day.”

Neji stared at her for a moment, before grabbing his cane and standing up. “I can postpone my appointment for today.”

Sakura’s brows furrowed. Neji was never late, and he never skipped appointments. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was desperate to be a shinobi again, or because he was simply a punctual person, but this was extremely out of character. Maybe he noticed just how upset she was, and was offering her a break, in his own way.

The thought made the pinkette feel guilty, but she also didn’t want to offend him by rejecting his offer. “Neji!” she called as he left in the room. The brunette lingered in the doorway, glancing back at her expectantly. Sakura felt her face flushing in embarrassment. “I ahhh, could definitely use a shower and a break… but I really don’t want to throw off our schedule by skipping our appointment today. Do you think… do you think it would be possible for you to stop by my home later? I have everything we need there, anyways.”

He seemed to consider her offer for a moment; finally, he nodded stiffly and left the room. 

* * *

Wrapping her short pink locks up in a towel and pulling her bathrobe tighter about her body, the pinkette began hastily cleaning her home, making sure every nook and cranny was spick and span. She didn’t know Neji quite well enough to say for sure, but he just seemed like the type of person to enjoy tidiness. 

That thought alone threw her off. She’d been working with him for a year — with the exception of her time in Suna — and she didn’t know him well enough to know that? To be fair, it wasn’t due to lack of effort on her part; Neji simply wasn’t a social person. Besides Hinata, he didn’t really have anyone super close to him. Even his teammates, as much as they loved him, were held at an arm’s length. He truly was a closed book. 

Still, something inside of Sakura wanted to try. She remembered Kankuro telling her one time that when someone acted like that, pushing everyone away, they were probably just in pain and that was the only way they could cope. He’d said all of Gaara’s aggression was to hide his true feelings: loneliness. Maybe this was the same. Maybe Neji was just in pain. Or lonely.

The pinkette brushed off her thoughts of Kankuro; every time she did, her chest clenched. She didn’t think her heart could take anymore cracks before it broke altogether.

A knock at the door disturbed her from her thoughts and she went to answer it, throwing it open with a smile. Neji stared at her with narrowed eyes rather than saying “hello,” and it took only a moment for the kunoichi to figure out why. “My bathrobe!” she squeaked, smacking her forehead in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, Neji-san. Come on in and make yourself comfortable. I’ll go change.”

She let him in and he sat down stiffly on her couch while she rushed into her room to throw some clothes on. Settling for a red qipao top and some black shorts, she removed the towel from her hair and grabbed some latex gloves from the box on her bathroom counter, making her way back out into her modest but clean living room. Neji sat on the couch, not having moved an inch, but his gaze was wandering the room, as if analyzing the room for imperfections. Annoyance laced her voice as she spoke. “I hope my cleanliness lives up to your expectations.”

“Indeed,” he murmured, distracted. When she came to sit down next to him, his eyes finally settled on her. “You look well.”

Her expression softened as she snapped on her gloves. “I do feel better, thank you. Alright — are you ready?”

The Hyuga began shrugging out of his loose yukata top, already knowing the routine. Strong hands reached back to grab his long chestnut colored hair and sweep it over his shoulder, moving it out of her way. Perhaps it was Ino’s stupid voice in her head, but Sakura found herself blushing. She’d seen Neji Hyuga’s bare torso hundreds of times since becoming his primary doctor, and never once had she hesitated or flinched or thought twice about it. 

_ Damn you, Ino-pig. _

She cleared her throat nervously and set her hands on his shoulder, staring there; finally getting into the groove and focusing on her work, the pinkette began doing what she did best: medical ninjutsu. She began pouring her chakra into his nervous system, beginning to repair the damage the best she could. This was only a temporary fix; due to the nature of the rods that had pierced him during the war, shrapnel was now floating around in his veins — shrapnel that couldn’t be removed, not without some new sort of technology… technology the ninja world wasn’t capable of at this point. Medical ninjutsu could only do so much, as well. This was their routine; open up his nerves and reverse the damage until the floating shrapnel damaged them again, and keep up with his PT so he didn’t lose any of his basic functions. This was a horrible limbo Neji was stuck in — not a vegetable but unable to resume his shinobi duties. No wonder he was so angry and resentful. And Sakura truly wished she could help him.

“Do you have dreams about it?” she found herself asking.

If Neji was as surprised by her question as she was, he didn’t show it. “Dreams about what…?”

She swallowed. “... The war.”

He remained silent for a moment, the only white noise in the room being the kunoichi’s ceiling fan and the medical chakra flowing between them. Finally, he answered, his voice quiet. “All the time.”

“I’m having trouble letting go of the past,” she replied pensively. “Any advice…?”

Neji kept perfectly still as she continued healing him, taking his time with an answer. “It’s difficult to let go of the past when you’re still living in it.”

The kunoichi was certain he was speaking about himself, but she had a feeling that statement applied to her too. Maybe she was stuck. Maybe that was why she couldn’t seem to make herself feel any better. Maybe… maybe Ino had a point, as much as Sakura didn’t want to admit it. “Ya know,” she began, voice taking on a more optimistic tone, “things are improving. Your nerves are damaging at a much slower rate than they used to.”

“I noticed,” was his response. 

“How are Lee and Tenten? I haven’t seen them in a while.”

At this, Neji glanced back at her with an arched brow. Sakura blushed in embarrassment; the way he was looking at her made her feel stupid… but she pressed on. “Listen, we’ve been doing this for a while, Neji-san. Would it be so terrible to humor me?”

He sighed. “They’re fine.” When she remained silent, he continued, albeit slightly reluctantly. “As far as I know, Lee is working on getting his own students. He’s desperate for them. I hate to think of whatever poor sots get stuck with  _ Lee  _ as a teacher.”

Sakura giggled. “Yeah, he’s high-strung and a little over-eager, but his heart’s in the right place.”

“High-strung is a severe understatement. I’m sure you’ve heard the horror stories.”

“Horror stories…?”

Neji’s expression darkened. “You haven’t been told about drunken Lee…?”

Sakura’s eyes widened.  _ “Oh. That.  _ I… I’ve only heard a few stories. Is it really that bad…?”

He smiled. It was a wry, humorless smile, and yet Sakura somehow still found herself flushing with heat. “Whatever stories you’ve heard… it’s ten times worse than that. You know the barbecue place that was recently renovated? Let’s just say those repairs are coming out of Team Gai’s pockets — all because Lee mistook the Sake for water.”

The color drained from her face. “Are you serious? I saw the damage to that place, I wasn’t sure what had caused it, but I thought it must’ve been bad…”

Neji grunted. “Let’s just say he’s no longer allowed on the premises.”

“What about Tenten? I heard she’s been a bit of an entrepreneur lately.”

Neji pursed his lips. “I… haven’t really spoken to Tenten lately. I do know she’s been trying to buy property to open up her own weapons’ shop.”

Sakura’s brows furrowed; her hands moved from Neji’s shoulder down his arm, working on the nerves there. “You haven’t spoken to her?” she asked as she slowly moved closer to his hand.

Neji shifted uncomfortably, averting his gaze. “We… had a falling out.”

The pinkette tilted her head. “You’re so close; she’s your  _ teammate.  _ What could possibly…?”

“I… I was hurting, and angry. I said some things I shouldn’t have said… and she got upset.” He fell silent, offering his hand to her when she reached for it. When their fingers touched, Sakura felt a warmth that she hadn’t felt before; but she had to stay focused on the task at hand. Any slip in her concentration of chakra flow and she could damage the tissue rather than repairing it… 

Her eyes drifted between his face and the green glow emitting from her hand to his own. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “For the record — I’m sure that if you just… talked to her, that you both could put this behind you and be friends again. You know; water under the bridge.”

Neji grunted again and looked away, staring hard at the wall while she worked on his hand. “I don’t know how.” He swallowed. “I’m angry.  _ Still  _ angry.”

Sakura’s instinct was to lift a hand to his cheek in comfort, and on impulse, that hand lifted — but she stopped herself and exerted control. She gave him a small smile instead. “You’ve come so far. I know sometimes it seems like the road is endless —”

“It  _ always  _ seems endless.”

Sakura sighed softly, still smiling sadly. “I know. But… I don’t care how long it takes or what I have to do. I’m going to get your life back. You’ll be a shinobi again, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

Neji’s gaze flickered over to her, before averting once more.

Sakura finished the rest of her work within the next hour and a half, and as she was finishing up, Ino’s suggestions popped once more into her head. But with medical ninjutsu and Neji’s health journey also on her mind, she put two and two together and suddenly an idea formed. “Say — I’ve got an idea, if you’re willing to hear it,” she said, medical chakra drifting slowly down his leg. Once she had his attention, the pinkette continued. “I… there is an event I’m going to in Sunagakure. Now, I know we’ve only done walks around the village — and you’ve done very well with those, I might add — but I think it would be an excellent challenge for you to travel a longer distance. I’d be with you every step of the way and we’d go at your pace. What… what do you think, Neji-san?”

He considered for a long moment, brows furrowing as he mulled things over in his head. “What ‘event’ are you speaking of?” 

Sakura’s cheeks flushed with heat. She hesitated, unsure how to answer. “Well, ahh… it’s the anniversary of a friend of mine,” the pinkette finally admitted.

She finished up, and after slipping his top back on, Neji stood and grabbed his cane. Immediately he began heading for the door, and Sakura followed after, suddenly feeling unreasonably anxious. Turning back to her, the Hyuga said, “I’ll consider it.”

The kunoichi nodded, opening the door for him to allow him out. “And, Sakura-san?” he turned back once more and the pinkette looked up at him with large green eyes. Neji’s expression was soft, much softer than she’d seen it in a long time. “Thank you.”

When he left, Sakura suddenly found herself letting out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. Closing the door, she leaned back against it for a moment, catching her breath — and then she went over to the nearby desk and pulled a crumpled letter from it.


	2. Efflorescence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Apologies ahead of time for any typos/continuity errors/grammatical mistakes you may come across. I don't have any beta readers and I doubt I catch ALL of my mistakes. Either way, ENJOY! Let me know what you think!!

Over the next week, Sakura continued her sessions with Neji in her home; instead of using the balance bars in the hospital, she walked him around the neighborhood and had him use his cane and her arm for balance. More and more the pinkette found herself getting… nervous around the Hyuga, tension running rampant between them, and she fully and wholeheartedly blamed Ino for it. Ever since that dumb Pig put the ideas into her head, Sakura caught herself looking at Neji differently and she hated it. For almost a solid year she’d been comfortably working with him and keeping a professional distance and  _ now  _ she was interested in his ass?

What was worse, Sakura  _ also _ caught herself doing something she absolutely despised:  _ comparing.  _ Wondering what Neji was like in bed; if he would do that little thing with his thumb, or kiss that perfect spot on her neck — if he was anything like…

Invasive thoughts were nothing new to the pinkette so she followed her own personal protocol and focused on something like cooking or working to get her mind off of it.

Needless to say, she’d been cooking  _ a lot  _ lately.

On the positive side, she seemed to be making a lot of headway with the closed-off Hyuga. She’d learned that herring soba was his favorite food, he enjoyed meditation and reading haiku, and he had a very… pessimistic outlook on the world. He called it  _ realistic,  _ but Sakura had to disagree. He was a downer. Or… maybe… she herself was too  _ optimistic.  _ He’d told her she had a naive opinion of people and that she shouldn’t trust so easily.

Her reply had been that maybe  _ he  _ should trust people a little bit  _ more. _

Sakura had mixed feelings about Neji, the more she got to know him; she knew he was brave, and had a kind spirit, considering the fact he’d been willing to sacrifice himself for his cousin and Naruto… but he also was cold, closed-off, hard to get close to. 

But she still wanted to try.

One afternoon, when Neji was set to come over for his usual appointment, the pinkette set about checking the broth she’d been making overnight and cooking all the ingredients. Noodle, fishcake, vegetables, and most importantly… dried red herring! Ah, it smelled delicious; she really hoped he would — …

_ Knock knock. _

Sakura bustled over to the door and opened it, a smile on her lips. Neji sniffed slightly and his eyes lit up with recognition. Brows raised in surprise, lips parting to speak but nothing coming out. Finally he managed something. “Are you cooking… soba?”

Her smile widened. “I hope you’re hungry, Neji-san.”

He stiffened up, hesitant, but eventually made his way inside, moving to settle into his normal spot on her couch. Sakura transferred the noodles from the boiling water and checked on the vegetables before she scrubbed her hands down, snapped on some gloves, and approached the couch to begin her healing. Neji had already shrugged out of his top and pulled his long hair over his shoulder. “Who cuts your hair?” she asked curiously as she laid hands on his exposed shoulder and began her work.

“I do,” he replied quietly. Over the past week the Hyuga had come to expect the pinkette’s onslaught of questions and small-talk and wasn’t so resistant and aggravated by it anymore.

Sakura’s brows rose in surprise. “You do it yourself?? That’s amazing! Have you ever thought of…”

He huffed. “I don’t think I have the social skills to be a barber.”

“Well,” the pinkette responded with a laugh, “I don’t think it's a lack of skill — I think it’s a lack of  _ aspiration.” _

He grunted. As Sakura’s healing hands moved slowly down his arm, he offered his hand to her as he opened his mouth several times, as if searching for the right words. “Herring soba is — … my favorite.”

“I remember you mentioning it, so I decided to make some,” was the kunoichi’s chipper reply. “Have you thought about…?”

He glanced back at her. Upon her clarification, his brows raised and he… Sakura squinted. Was that a blush? “I’ve thought about it. I’m still… undecided.”

After Sakura finished using her medical ninjutsu on his other limbs, she invited Neji to have a bowl of soba and fixed them both some food, sitting down at the table with him. At first the pair ate together silently; but it was a comfortable silence. Sakura could tell by the softness of Neji’s expression that he was grateful for the deed and the surprise had definitely caught him off-guard. “I’ve been thinking about something,” she finally said between mouthfuls. “I haven’t made any headway on new research — but I’m wondering if another surgery would help get more of that shrapnel out.”

The Hyuga’s eyes hardened. “Grasping at straws now, are we…?”

The kunoichi’s expression soured. “Listen — I know it doesn’t seem like there’s any hope but I’m willing to put in the time and effort to give it a try. Why don’t you?”

“I thought you’d gotten all the shrapnel that you possibly could with the skills and technology available to you,” Neji said matter-of-factly, lips pressed into a thin line. “Realistically, there is no point in attempting another surgery. I’ve accepted my fate. I’m dealing with it.”

The anger washed over her and she acted on it before she could stop herself; slamming a fist down on the table and rattling their bowls, Sakura clenched her teeth. “There’s NOTHING realistic about rolling over and giving up!!”

Silence. Sakura could hear the slow whurr of her ceiling fan and the tension between them was so thick she felt she could cut it with a butter knife. The Hyuga’s lips pressed together and his pale eyes flashed angrily, but he said nothing; instead, he gingerly dabbed his mouth with a napkin, grabbed his cane, and turned to leave. Instantly Sakura’s anger was washed away with regret — getting up from the table, she dashed forward to catch his sleeve. “N-Neji, wait —”

When he turned back, the intensity of his gaze startled Sakura so much that she froze in place, breath catching in her throat. What emotion laid behind his dangerous pearlescent eyes, she didn’t know, and she was afraid to find out. “Neji, I just… I’m sorry,” she finally said breathlessly, eyes wide. “I didn’t mean — ….”

_ WHIZZ. _

Several things happened all at once. A kunai whizzed past Sakura’s head, slicing off a strand of her hair; Neji grabbed the kunoichi and threw her against the wall, pressing his back against her to keep her sandwiched and safe; and he activated his Byakugan. “Out the window!” he whispered to her through clenched teeth. Sakura shifted upward to peer over his shoulder and found that where it had been closed before, it was open now. And a flickering shadow danced outside the window. 

Sakura inched out from behind Neji and, as quickly as possible flung herself out her front door, wheeling around the corner in search of the intruder. “Around the back!” she heard Neji yell from inside, and fists bared, the pinkette gave chase. Around the back she went, and squinted into the growing darkness… to find nothing. There was nothing; no chakra signature, no body, not even a shadow. Whatever had attacked them was simply… 

_ Gone. _

Making her way back inside, feeling out of breath from the sudden lack of adrenaline, Sakura closed the front door behind her and leaned back against it wearily. “It’s gone.”

Neji, whose eyes were back to normal, nodded grimly. “I saw. It just…”

“... Disappeared,” they said at the same time. Sakura half-smiled and leaned off the door, passing by him to go clean up things in the kitchen. 

“What was that??” the Hyuga demanded as she passed by him.

Sakura hesitated, before remaining silent as she took their bowls from the table. At this point Neji shuffled back into the kitchen area and set his cane aside, approaching her. Before the pinkette could protest in any way, he took the bowls from her, carried them to the sink, and began silently and thoroughly washing them. Sakura stared for a moment in surprise before jumping to begin putting leftovers away; half of it she put in one bowl to stash in her refrigerator, and the other half was bagged up for the Hyuga to take home. 

When the pinkette glanced over at Neji once more, he seemed fully focused on his task, grabbing other dishes to wash as well; but she could tell he was also waiting for an answer. Truth be told, she knew exactly what it was — this had happened several times in the period since she’d come back home from Suna. But she didn’t want to tell him about it — this was  _ her  _ problem to bear, not his. 

But she’d recently learned an extremely difficult lesson about withholding information, now hadn’t she…?

Pain struck her chest and she clutched the front of her shirt briefly, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. “I, ah,” she stuttered, blinking back tears, “I’ve been receiving these threats since… well, since I came home.”

Neji glanced over at her, questions burning in his eyes, but he said nothing. As her fingers fiddled with the strings of the bag she’d packed for him, she continued rambling. Everything came out; about the situation in Suna, about the Keeper, Setsuko’s kidnapping, the political unrest, how she’d been framed, all of it. She’d left out the romantic issues — did that part really matter? — and by the end of it, Neji was nodding slowly in understanding. “And you said you wanted to go to Suna? After all that happened…?”

Heat rose to her cheeks and she looked away. “I know it sounds stupid,” she murmured. “But the more I think about it… I really feel like I should go.”

“Hm.” Neji’s eyes closed for a moment and when they opened they returned to the sudsy dishes in his hands; he scrubbed silently for a bit before finally answering, his voice quiet and resolute. “Well, if you feel you must go, then I feel that I must accompany you.” He paused, pale eyes darting up to focus on her. “To make sure no more attacks are successful.”

Sakura found herself feeling warm again for an entirely different reason. “A-Are you sure…?”she murmured.

He nodded. A hint of a smile curled his lips, and the sight stole the breath out of the pinkette. When he spoke, she was star-struck. “Oh… and thank you. For dinner.”

* * *

A few days before the anniversary party in Suna, Sakura and Ino reached out to everyone else who’d be traveling to the Sand to attend the event and they all decided to travel together; shinobi bandit groups had been frequenting the woods between the two villages so commuting as a unit would make things much safer. As Sakura Haruno and Neji Hyuga approached the gate, Sakura felt Neji tense up beside her and immediately understood why. Among those gathered to venture forth was Tenten — the pinkette remembered Neji mentioning that he and the brunette were having… issues. Unresolved tension. If she’d thought Tenten would show up, she might’ve thought to warn the Hyuga, but she had no idea the weapons mistress would be there. On that thought — why  _ was  _ she here?

After about ten minutes of waiting it seemed that everyone had gathered and they all set out on foot; Sakura had spent the morning hours using her medical ninjutsu on Neji so he was about as fresh as he could be for the state his body was in. He kept up with the rest of the group very well, managing to hide his expression any time he felt strained or in pain. Still, Sakura kept a close eye on him. During the journey, Ino swooped in to chat Neji up; being freed to speak to whomever she wanted, the pinkette decided to approach Tenten, who seemed content sharpening one of her kunai as they traveled. “Hey, Tenten!” she greeted, forcing a smile onto her face.

The brunette seemed more perceptive than Sakura had thought. She glanced wryly over at her. “I’m guessing you’re wondering why I’m here, or who I might be tagging along with,” she began. 

“Well… yeah,” Sakura replied sheepishly, unable to lie.

“I’m not anybody’s plus one,” Tenten responded with a knowing smile. The pinkette could’ve sworn she saw a blush on the brunette’s tanned cheeks. “Well… technically, I guess I am. But the person I’m attending the party with is already in Suna.”

Sakura’s heart flopped into her stomach and the color drained from her face. For a moment she couldn’t think, couldn’t respond, couldn’t even  _ breathe  _ — the world began spinning around her and she had to stop walking for a moment to regain her balance and keep from throwing up. “Hey, woah, you okay?” Tenten asked, stopping and reaching for her.

Sakura shook her head and waved her off, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat and wishing she could clutch the worn letter she’d decided not to bring. Instead trembling hands clutched at the hem of her skirt and she took a breath and steadied herself. “S-Sorry about that,” she lied shakily, “J-Just… got dizzy. Not sure why. I’m okay though.” As they regained pace, Sakura glanced nervously over at the brunette, a question on the tip of her tongue. But could she ask? Did she want to know?

“Who’s your date??” she finally blurted.

This time, Tenten  _ noticeably  _ flushed. “It’s not a date,” she insisted, but there was a small smile on her lips anyways. “We’re only friends. But… Gaara asked me if I’d like to come as his plus-one.”

Silence.

“GAARA?!”

Sakura’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. How the  _ hell  _ did Tenten know GAARA? She thought the extent of their relationship was that Gaara’s sister Temari beat the crap out of Tenten during the Chunin exams in their younger years… other than that, Sakura had no idea the two even knew each other  _ existed. _ So she asked the question burning in the forefront of her mind:  _ “HOW?” _

Tenten began laughing. “Well, you remember when they assigned me to sort of be a guide for all the representatives from other villages during Naruto and Hinata’s wedding?”

Sakura nodded dumbly.

“Well, Gaara was one of those representatives.” Tenten shrugged matter-of-factly. “I don’t know how it happened. I spent more time with him during that week than probably anyone else. We’ve been pen-pals ever since.”

“PEN-PALS?”

Tenten’s grin twitched. “Alright, the yelling is getting annoying.”

Sakura tried her damndest to keep her mouth from hanging open — she really did. But she kept staring at the brunette as if she’d grown another head. “You… and Gaara.”

“Mhmm.”

“Pen-pals?”

“Yep.”

_ “... Friends?” _

Sigh. “Yes, Sakura.”

In an attempt to gauge the brunette’s feelings, Sakura said, “did you know he was going to get married at one point?”

Tenten smiled knowingly. “Yep. He wrote to me about it. If I remember correctly he’d said they didn’t work out. Never really told me why. In the last letter I got from him, besides his invitation to the party, he told me that he’d decided to adopt a boy — it was really sweet.”

“Well maybe we’ll get to meet him,” Sakura responded, reeling with this new information. In one of her last conversations with Gaara, she’d remembered playfully suggesting he adopt one of the kids in Suna’s orphanage — was this just a coincidence or had he truly taken her words to heart?

“Maybe. Say — you’re going because you personally know the brides, right? It was that crazy rescue mission. Madara sympathizers, right? I heard stories of everything that happened there but never got to confirm them.”

“I do,” Sakura responded, feeling much less sick than before. She’d been so afraid that Tenten would say she’d been invited by…  _ him.  _ The pinkette’s smile faltered but she shook herself out of it. She relayed the story over to Tenten, and this time for whatever reason found herself including her romance with Kankuro. How they’d separated recently, too. And by the end of it she felt herself blinking back tears. 

The brunette looked over at her, frowning sadly. “Geez… that’s horrible. You don’t think we’re going to see him at the party…?”

“We probably will,” Sakura replied quietly.

Tenten inhaled sharply. “Yikes… awkward.”

“Speaking of  _ awkward…”  _ Sakura used the momentum in their conversation to broach a sensitive subject. “I saw how Neji-san looked at you when we arrived. Are you two…?”

Tenten flushed, looking out at the canopy of tree-tops overhead almost resentfully. “He’s an ass.”

“Hasn’t he always been?” 

A giggle. “Yeah. But even moreso lately; I understand his injuries make him feel… weak, or whatever, but that’s no reason to take it out on me when I’m just trying to help him.”

“I’m sure he regrets it,” Sakura pressed, frowning. “Really — you two are teammates and best friends. Maybe just…  _ talk  _ to him.”

Tenten pursed her lips. “... Maybe.”

* * *

Sunagakure no Sato was bustling with life as the group arrived a few days later. One large building, in particular, seemed to be the center of all the hive activity, with people bringing supplies in and out and working on putting up decorations; Sakura’s first instinct was to go and investigate, but the journey to Suna had taken its toll on the whole group, especially Neji, so her greatest priority was getting him settled in and getting to work on his limbs again. 

Fortunately, the group was greeted by a group of Suna nin, three of which were… 

Sakura’s face paled and her heart thudded into her feet. Suddenly, just like when she’d been speaking with Tenten, the kunoichi felt the world spin around her and her knees buckled. The person next to her quickly put an arm around her, preventing her from flopping to the ground; tearing her gaze away from the heart-wrenching sight, wide green eyes focused on the grim visage of Neji, who held her steady. Dark brows furrowed, silently questioning her. “I… just feeling a little heat-sick,” she lied with a sheepish smile. It was clear he didn’t believe her, but he kept an arm around her anyways to prevent her fall — and something about it left the pinkette in tingles despite the situation.

Temari ran to hug her fiance, and Shikamaru looked slightly less sour than he had the entire trip to the Sand. Unable to look at the one person who made her chest clench so painfully, Sakura watched everyone else’s greetings; none of them were surprising — except one. Tenten shameless went over to Gaara and threw arms around him in an embrace that had the pale red-head blushing furiously. They both genuinely seemed happy to see one another; proof that the brunette hadn’t been lying in the slightest. There were plenty more hugs to go around, it seemed — even Sakura herself was approached by both Gaara and Setsuko herself for happy reunions. Releasing the pinkette from a crushing embrace, Setsuko turned to Neji and arched a brow, smiling pleasantly. Still stunned by the entrancing smell of the woman’s perfume, Sakura focused on the woman, consistently awed by just how  _ pretty  _ she was. Was it just natural good looks that made Setsuko so appealing, or how put-together she always seemed? She was shapely, feminine, and graceful. Everything a guy could want in a wife, she would think; so why choose another woman? 

Furthermore, why choose a woman who seemed grumpy and bitter about ninety-eight percent of the time??

“Where is Jinsoku-san?”

Sakura shook herself out of her reverie. “Oh — uh — J-Jourei-san?” she asked dumbly. 

Setsuko smiled. “He did help rescue me from certain death. I was hoping he and his wife could make it.”

“Maybe they still will,” the pinkette reassured her with a smile. “Perhaps they just traveled separately.”

“Who is this handsome man?” Setsuko turned her attention to Neji, extending a tanned, manicured hand toward him for a shake.

Sakura glanced over at him. Was he…  _ blushing?  _ Perhaps it was just embarrassment, or maybe he was just as in awe of Setsuko as she was. For some reason, that thought made her stomach twinge a little bit. “This is my plus-one,” Sakura introduced, forcing a smile. “Neji Hyuga.”

“A Hyuga clan member? I could tell from those bewitching eyes,” Setsuko said with a charming laugh. “Pleasure to meet you, Hyuga-san. I’m Setsuko Hoki. Thank you for attending our get-together; this is truly a union worth celebrating.~”

“Congratulations on your anniversary, Hoki-san,” Neji said politely, still tense and flustered. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you, as well.”

As Sakura glanced over to Gaara, who was chatting with Tenten once more, something about Setsuko’s last name struck a chord within the pinkette.  _ Why was it familiar? And why did she suddenly think of Gaara?  _ Once the realization hit her, her eyes widened.

_ Hoki. _

_ Setsuko Hoki  _ —

**_Hakuto Hoki._ **

“You’re related to Gaara’s former fiance?!”

Rather than being irritated at the pinkette’s sudden outburst, Setsuko just laughed; it was a musical sound, like softly tingling chimes blowing in a summer breeze. Still, Sakura was shocked. Setsuko seemed ready to supply answers, however. “Yes. I’m the current matriarch of the Hoki clan! Hakuto was going to be next in line… but she…” The medical kunoichi’s face sobered. “Well, she is gone now. Safe, however, I hope.”

“Gone?” Sakura questioned — but before her curiosity could be satisfied, Gaara gathered everyone and directed them all to a clay building on the left.

“Accommodations have been made for you all here,” he said softly. “I hope you’re all ready for the party tomorrow. I have… paperwork to do. I hope you all enjoy yourselves while you’re here.”

Sakura, feeling a bit more steady than before, pulled from Neji’s arm and began leading him toward the hotel so they could all unpack and settle in. Glancing up at him as they walked, she could see that same stern expression as always — but there was something else in his pearl eyes. Shockingly, his voice broke the silence between them, holding an admonishing tone. “There was only one person in the entire group you refused to look at,” he noted. “What is your history with Kankuro Sabaku?”

Sakura’s mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish. She struggled for words, making a few odd noises but otherwise unable to answer. What  _ could  _ she say? That was one topic she hadn’t planned on broaching with the stoic Hyuga… but it looked like he’d figured it out himself. How astute of him. Finally, she looked away with a huff. “He and I… well…”

“... Ah.” He was silent for a while longer. Entering the small hotel, the old woman at the desk greeted them with a smile and handed them the key to their room. Up a set of stairs they went, unlocking a door at the end of a short hall and making their way inside. Immediately Sakura kicked off her sandals carelessly, eager to feel the cool wood beneath her bare feet, and sighed in relief as she threw her pack down and flopped back on a cushy queen-size bed on the floor. Hearing an irritable grunt, the kunoichi cracked open one eye to peer at him. Neji was visibly annoyed as he stared at the sandals haphazardly strewn across the floor.

“They’re just sandals,” she said.

“It’s…  _ messy,”  _ he insisted stiffly.

“So? Let it be messy.”

_ “I don’t like messy.” _

The clear agitation in his voice and the curl of his lip was somehow the funniest thing she’d seen all week. Sakura burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of him; unable to stop herself, the giggles turned into uncontrollable laughter and by the time she was able to compose herself, tears were rolling down her face and her stomach was clenching painfully. Still chuckling breathlessly, the kunoichi finally sat up in her bed and gave him a grin. “If it’s too  _ messy _ for you, why don’t you  _ clean it up?” _

Neji silently snarled. After a mere moment’s hesitation, he shuffled over to the sandals and picked one up —

— and chucked it straight at her. It whapped the kunoichi right in the purple chakra seal on her forehead, and after rubbing it tenderly for a moment, she gaped at him.  _ Did he just?  _ “Did you just…?”

His lips curled into a smirk.

“Game on,” she growled, grabbing the shoe he’d thrown and chucking it at her. For the next twenty minutes, the pair tossed ninja sandals at one another like they were in a snowball fight, leaping over beds, dodging across the room, ducking behind dressers. By the time they were both out of breath, the score was Sakura, 22, and Neji, 31. Even though she was more mobile than him, he seemed to simply have impeccable aim and timing. Plopping down beside him on the floor and leaning back against the wall, Sakura panted softly, nudging his arm. “I refuse to admit I lost,” she mumbled, before her brows rose in realization. “Neji —” she began, grabbing his arm in excitement, “— you… you moved so well! You were able to…  _ jump!” _

Seeming to just realize that himself, the Hyuga’s eyes lit up in recognition and his expression softened. A small but genuine smile curled his lips. 

“I suppose you’re right.”


End file.
